Oh that King John...

In 1205 he [King John] disputed the pope's choice of Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury, and Pope Innocent III placed England under an interdict, suspending all religious services, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. John retaliated by seizing church revenues, and was excommunicated. Eventually, John submitted, accepting the papal nominee, and agreed to hold the kingdom as a fief of the papacy; an annual monetary tribute was paid to the popes for the next 150 years by successive English monarchs. In 1215 he John meets the English barons at Runnymede, and seals the Magna Carta.[1]

In 1215, John appealed to the Pope and the Pope annulled the Magna Carta. In 1216, the barons sought French aid in their fight against John. Prince Louis of France landed in England and captured the Tower of London.